Court orders French tycoon to take paternity test

PARIS (AP) — A French court has ordered a paternity test for a multimillionaire who former Justice Minister Rachida Dati claims fathered her 3-year-old daughter.

The birth of the child while Dati was in office from 2007 to 2009 made headlines and set off guessing games about the identity of the father.

A Versailles court official said Dominique Desseigne, 68, was ordered Tuesday to take a genetic test. The official wasn’t authorized to comment and asked not to be named.

Paternity tests are voluntary in France, so Desseigne, the widowed owner of the famed Champs-Elysees establishment Fouquet’s, has a choice whether to submit. He has been quoted in the past as saying he won’t. But text messages, emails and photos can also be used to prove a relationship.